Over the last week, residents in more than 30 Cornish towns and villages have been left without water.

South West Water said that the ‘unprecedented’ number of burst water mains which have left countless homes with no water supply, is due to the recent bad weather.

When ‘The Beast from the East’ hit Cornwall, it brought with it perishing temperatures that froze water pipes across the county. With the temperatures rising quickly, South West Water claims that the big thaw has led to a number of bursts.

Currently on the South West Water website, more than 30 leaks and outages have been listed on its map – and that number could rise.

The company said that it was likely more water mains bursts will be found.

The map of burst water mains or leaks on the South West Water website (Image: South West Water website)

In the meantime it said that it has started work to fix the bursts that are affecting the most amount of people first.

Jo Ecroyd, South West Water’s Customer Services Director, said: “Firstly, we would like to thank customers for their patience during this challenging time.

“There are a number of ongoing issues across the region but good progress is being made by South West Water and our partners as we continue to work around the clock to restore services. This includes reconfiguring our networks to distribute supplies from alternate sources where necessary to minimise the impact on customers.”

While repair works get underway, alternative supplies are being found for those left with no water.